Three Cowboys

Chapter Six

“Now lock that damn door and toss me the key.”

Oh, God. Rusty was the assassin? Her thoughts were a confused jumble, but she did as she was told.

The man pocketed the key and moved to the window. Looked out. He didn’t seem to take pleasure in the view. Had he set the fire to distract everyone from the main house?

From where she stood, all she could see was the smoke. “Why are you doing this? You have a good place here. A good job. A home.”

Keeping calm was the most difficult thing she’d ever done, but she had to do it for Cody’s sake. She didn’t want to scare her son more than he already was. He stared at her wide-eyed, fear scrunching up his little face, but he wasn’t crying. Yet.

She hoped it would stay that way. Who knew what would set Rusty off. He clearly wasn’t the man they’d all thought him to be.

He glanced between them, shifting on his feet, obviously agitated.

Not good. Then again, he hadn’t shot anyone yet.

She had to think of something to save them.

Everyone would come for the fire, she thought. The great distraction. But sooner or later someone would notice that she and Cody were missing. Morgan, if nobody else. The only question was how far away was he, and how long would it take him to get back here? Had he gone back to the pasture?

“You two shouldn’t have come up,” Rusty said. “Should’ve stayed downstairs with Justice.”

“It’s not too late. Nobody is hurt yet. Nothing bad has to happen today.”

“I didn’t mean for nothin’ to happen to the kid.”

“I believe you, Rusty. Listen, you’re a better man than this.”

The man gave a sour laugh. “Some of us are born to be bad and there ain’t nothin’ we can do to climb out of it. I tried. Damned if I didn’t.”

“Whatever Calderón is paying you, I have some money set aside, too. I can ask Justice for more. He’ll give it to me.”

“It ain’t about the money.”

“Then what is it about?”

He shrugged. “Too long a story.”

Good. She needed to keep him talking until Morgan got here. And in case he didn’t, she needed another plan. She eyed the chair in the corner and shifted toward it. “If we are to die, I think we have the right to hear why.”

Rusty glanced out the window again, then back at her. “You know about my brother.”

She nodded. “He died in a shootout with the cops ten years ago. You wear his rattler belt and rodeo belt buckle to remember him by.” Everyone at the ranch knew that much.

“Buddy and I started out a life of crime together. Some cattle rustling, this and that. First time we got caught, we got tossed in jail.” He shook his head. “Scared the spit out of me. Didn’t want to go back, no way. Got a job, stayed out of trouble.”

“But not your brother?”

“He got in with Calderón’s men, running drugs over the border. When the cops shot him, he was bringing in cocaine bricks that got confiscated. Calderón’s men came after me. Figured the debt transferred to the family.”

“They threatened you. Forced you into doing what?”

He shrugged again. “Whatever needed doing now and then.”

“Virgil is a cop. Wyatt is sheriff. They can get you into the witness protection program.”

“It ain’t about me. Got a mother in a nursing home. Got two sisters. Nephews. Nieces.”

“We’ll find a way out of this.”

“I already did. With this last job, my debt to Calderón will be settled. I’ll be done with the man.”

Nobody was done with someone like Calderón until Calderón said he was done, but just as she would have told Rusty that, the man put his finger on the trigger, aiming at Julio.

The sudden escalation of tension spooked Cody and he tore away from Julio to run toward his mother. Directly into the path of the bullet.

“No!” She dove that way, but she was too far.

The door flew open at the same time, Morgan diving for her son, putting himself between Cody and the bullet. Justice was right behind him, throwing himself in the middle.

The shot went off.

Her ears rang so hard she didn’t even hear herself scream again. For a moment she didn’t know who was hit.

Not Morgan, she realized the next second, as Morgan was wrestling with Rusty for the gun. Julio was down, but getting up. He’d probably hit the ground when the weapon discharged.

Cody, half under Justice, scrambled up, too, and ran into her arms. “Thank God.” She checked him over twice. “Are you okay, honey?”

“I was scared, Mom.”

Her throat burned. “You were very brave.”

Morgan subdued Rusty at last and had control of the weapon.

Julio was helping Justice to his feet. The old man held his side, blood seeping through his fingers.

“Justice.” She was next to him the next second. “Lie back down. Let me see it.”

“Don’t make a big fuss over this.” He tried to walk forward, but his knees buckled.

Sirens sounded in the distance.

“You lie down on the bed then.” She pushed him that way. “Help is coming.”

“Hey, who’s the boss here?” But he let her push him on top of the covers, his face turning white.

Only when Justice was horizontal did she look back at Morgan, who had Rusty tied up with an old lasso. Morgan’s arm was bleeding, too. The bullet that had gone through Justice, must have hit him.

Her heart about stopped. “You, too,” she ordered him. “On the bed.”

He quirked an eyebrow and shot her a hot grin.

She swallowed. Fine. “On the chair. Sit down, for heaven’s sake.”

“It’s a flesh wound.” He smirked. “Let’s not get carried away.”

She wanted to throw him into a chair and see how bad the shot really was, make sure he was okay. She wanted to kiss him.

Instead, she turned back to Justice and pushed his shirt aside, prepared for the worst. The bullet had only grazed him, tore his flesh, but nothing else.

“It’s not too bad,” she admitted. “But I still don’t want you getting up.” She picked up Cody and hurried downstairs with him. Someone had to direct the arriving paramedics and cops.

* * *

HE HAD FIVE MINUTES, tops, before the cops would take over.

“Secure the door.” Morgan pointed at Julio who still looked pale.

He did move to the door, though, and closed it as best he could against the busted doorjamb, put his back against it.

Morgan put a knee into the middle of Rusty’s chest as the man lay on the floor, then aimed the gun at the man’s head. He held on to his tenuous control as cold fury coursed through him. The bastard had held Dakota and Cody at gunpoint. “Where’s Brittany?”

He squeezed off a shot so close to the man’s head, it caught a trail of blood through his ear.

Rusty went white. “You don’t know Calderón. He’ll kill me when he catches me. He’ll kill my whole family.”

“I know myself. And I know for sure I will shoot you, here and now if you don’t tell me where my sister is.” He brought his knee up until it pressed against the man’s throat.

“Don’t,” he gasped out the single word. Then, “Okay.”

Morgan eased up on the pressure. “Talk.” He moved the end of the barrel to the middle of the man’s forehead.

“She’s... They took her to the packaging factory.”

“Where is that?”

“I don’t know. Calderón has an alpaca farm. He does his drug packaging there. That’s all I know, I swear.”

It was enough. Morgan eased back a little. He had a map of the territories Calderón controlled. And he had the military satellite pictures. Now that he knew they were looking for an alpaca farm, they should be able to figure out the rest.

Boots slapped up the stairs outside.

“Police! Drop your weapons and put your hands behind your heads.” The first officer up the stairs had his gun aimed at them.

Morgan laid down his gun. “Everything is under control, officer.”

* * *

THAT NIGHT, THEY ALL SLEPT in the main house. Julio moved into Bull’s room with him. Morgan doubled up with Wyatt, sleeping on old blankets on the floor. Dakota and Cody settled into Morgan’s room.

Trying to sleep in Morgan’s bed was surreal in so many ways. Images of the two of them rolled around in her head until she couldn’t take it anymore, and got up to walk to the window while Cody slept peacefully.

Moonlight danced on the charred cabin. Thank God the farmhands were quick to the rescue, and the fire department had gotten there in time. The place would need massive repair, but it was salvageable.

As for her belongings...not so much.

Her clothes were ruined, her furniture as well. Cody’s baby picture albums burned, too, but at least she had the digital photos backed up online. And, most important, she had Cody, safe and sound, so she wasn’t going to complain about anything else.

She pushed away from the window and looked toward the door. Might as well use the bathroom while she was up. With all the people in the house, who knew how long she’d have to wait in line in the morning.

She opened the door at the same time as Morgan did across the hall. He wore nothing but blue jeans. She wore nothing but one of his T-shirts over her underwear, the shirt’s hem coming to the top of her thighs, leaving her legs bare. They both paused for a moment as they looked at each other, then stepped out and closed the door behind them.

“How is your arm?” she asked in a whisper.

“Not worth mentioning.”

“Justice?”

“Happy on painkillers the last I saw him.”

“And you’re going to Mexico tomorrow?”

“All three of us.” He shook his head. “Not that I need them.”

“Of course not.”

“They’ll be just in the way.”

“Everybody needs backup, Morgan. Everybody needs family.”

He said nothing to that, his gaze holding hers.

“I’ll take care of Justice,” she said after a long moment.

“Much appreciated.”

“He took a bullet for you, you know.” Even as Morgan had jumped in front of Cody to protect her son, Justice had jumped in front of Morgan.

He shook his head. “It’s the strangest thing.”

“He cares for you.”

He just looked at her for a long second. “I’m planning on talking to him before we head out tomorrow.”

“And what happens after you come back with Brittany?”

He glanced at his feet. “Back to work.”

She watched him. “Don’t you want more?”

“I’m not made for more,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “I wouldn’t make a good family man.”

“Says who?”

“I wouldn’t know the first thing about how to be a father.”

“You’ve only been here three days, and you’ve already acted like a father to Cody. You were a friend to him. You stood ready to sacrifice your life for him. That’s what fathers do, they give love and protection.”

He stared at her, then slowly he reached out and pulled her to him.

Her world was whole when she was in his arms. She felt right in a way she didn’t feel anytime or anywhere else. “Morgan,” she whispered.

“I don’t want to let you go again,” he whispered back as he claimed her lips.

“Then don’t.” Her heart thrilled. Her body sang.

“You would trust me with your son?”

“Without reservations. I know you, Morgan McCabe.” She pressed against him, palms flat against the hard muscles of his chest. As he shifted, his muscles played under her fingertips.

She itched to touch more. He must have felt the same, because he hooked his hands under her bottom and lifted her, his hardness pressed against her core.

She sucked in her breath, then explored him more fully while he deepened the kiss. Her mind was in such a haze, she was surprised she heard the footsteps coming up the stairs.

“Justice?”

“Probably Bull,” he whispered back, looking at the door behind him that hid Wyatt, and then the door behind her that hid Cody.

In a few long strides he was at the door of the hall closet in the back, then inside. He held her tight against him in the dark. Memories assailed her, sending heat skittering through her body.

The footsteps came closer. Stopped. A door opened next to them, then indistinct noises came as Bull got ready for bed.

“I think we should...” she started in a whisper, but he claimed her lips again, and this time he deepened the kiss.

He swept inside her mouth and tasted every corner of her, toyed with her, teased her until her brain turned to mush. Desires long suppressed unfurled in a slow awakening. His hands tucked under her T-shirt, his fingers massaging their way up her ribcage until he stopped just under her breasts.

She moaned a protest.

He moved higher, cupping her, pebbled nipples pressing into his warm palms—she had taken off her bra for sleeping. When his hands slid back down to the hem of her shirt and drew the soft material over her head, she didn’t protest.

Then they were skin to skin, her aching nipples brushing against his flat chest.

“You drive me crazy.” The words came in a raspy whisper next to her ear.

Then his arm moved and a soft click sounded above them, and the closet light came on.

“Morgan!” She jerked up her hands to cover herself. She was a lot older than the last time he’d seen her naked. She’d had a baby since. Had breastfed.

“No way I’m missing this.” He wore the devil’s own smile as he took her in, gently drew her hands away. “Beautiful.”

The awe in his eyes was gratifying, making her forget about her insecurities.

The large closet around them was stuffed with camping gear. A bunch of sleeping bags lay tossed on top of rolled-up tents. He pulled her down on top of those.

“I can’t believe we’re back here again.”

“I want you.”

She gave a strangled laugh. “I kind of deduced that from um...”

He reached down and unbuttoned his jeans, gave himself a little room. Grinned. Then grew serious. Took her face into his hands, brushed his lips over hers. “I love you.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

“I’ve always loved you. I was just too stupid to say it. I didn’t know how to be romantic. I still don’t. But I’m going to try. I don’t want to lose you again.”

She stared at him. “Wow. That’s the longest we’ve talked about feelings.”

“My heart is an open book. Ask me anything.”

She leaned forward and brushed her lips over his. “What are you feeling now?”

“A bucket load of horny.”

Her hands slipped into the front of his jeans. “And now?”

“Like I’m going to die of frustration if I can’t have you in the next two minutes.”

She laughed, liking the sense of power.

“I know you’re doing this to torture me.”

She withdrew. “Sorry. If my touch is torture...”

He took her hand and put it back where it had been a second ago. “Not your touch... I said I loved you and you didn’t say anything back.”

“I love you, too. That’s all that matters, you know. We’ll figure out the rest.”

With a groan that came straight from his chest he claimed her lips, shedding all restraint. He made her feel alive for the first time in a long time, her body buzzing with pleasure.

“I’m on leave until the New Year. After that... We’ll work out the details.”

* * *

THANKFULLY, THE CAMPING emergency kit had a condom. Morgan didn’t question why, he just took the gift.

Dakota’s eyes drifting closed and her back arching as he entered her was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. He planned on seeing it again and again, as often as possible for the rest of his life.

“I love you,” he told her again, and his heart thrilled when she echoed the words.

He made love to her slowly, thoroughly, making up for all those lost years. And when they lay sated in each other’s arms, they talked, caught up, laughed.

“I better get back,” she said at last. “In case Cody wakes up.”

“Is he a light sleeper?”

“Sleeps like a log. I swear he doesn’t even twitch.”

He helped her dress—any excuse to touch her again. He walked her to her door and kissed her, putting all his heart into the kiss.

Then he snuck into Wyatt’s room, making his way to the pile of blankets on the floor in the dark.

“You have a supportive family,” Wyatt said without turning. “It’s okay to come out of the closet.”

Morgan bit back a grin and punched his brother in the shoulder.

Man, it was good to be back.

* * * * *